Sportsbook solution supplier DATA.BET has shared an analysis of betting activity during the FIFA World Cup 2026. France led all national teams in stake, with Spain, Argentina, England and Belgium rounding out a top five that combined for 36.5% of total stake at the FIFA World Cup 2026.
The figures come from a betting activity analysis covering the largest edition of the tournament, which drew a combined 6.8 million attendances across 104 matches in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
Not every shift in betting activity came from the traditional contenders. Cape Verde produced the group stage’s biggest surprise, and Egypt, led by Mohamed Salah, pushed Argentina to the limit in the Round of 16. That run drew global attention and a corresponding rise in betting interest as it continued.
Pre-match wagers outpace live betting
Across the tournament, pre-match betting accounted for 63% of turnover, while live markets held a 37% share. The split remained consistent over the six weeks of competition, regardless of stage or opponent.
Stat-based markets accounted for over 11% of total turnover. Corners Total was the tournament’s most popular statistical market, ranking 10th overall by stake even as core markets such as 1×2 and Totals continued to dominate.
Bettors also built increasingly detailed combinations through Bet Builder, regularly pairing Corners, Yellow Cards and Team Totals with Anytime Goalscorer, a market sustained by finishing from Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappé, Erling Haaland and Harry Kane.
“The scale wasn’t just visible on the pitch — it showed in our numbers too. The combined betting turnover of the FIFA World Cup 2026 and the Intel Extreme Masters Cologne Major 2026 was split 58.5% to 41.5% in favor of the World Cup,” said Yevhenii Ilchenko, Head of Sports at DATA.BET.
Knockout rounds match group stage turnover despite fewer games
The group stage featured significantly more matches and generated over 33% more bets than the play-off stage, yet it delivered almost identical turnover and attracted virtually the same number of unique bettors as the knockout stage.
That difference also appeared at the individual bet level: the average stake during the play-off stage was 28% higher than during the group stage. Turnover climbed through the closing rounds, with the Semi-finals and Final generating the highest turnover of any stage in the competition.
“What made this World Cup stand out wasn’t one number — it was how consistently engaged bettors stayed for six straight weeks, till the final,” Ilchenko said.